Evil in Paradise
by cumberbatchbooty
Summary: This is the story of Darren's journey through Paradise. Seeing old friends again, meeting new ones, and also saving the world, once again, from evil. Rated T because I'm paranoid! R&R
1. Chapter 1

Mr. Crepsley waiting. Laughter in the great beyond, I'm going, I'm going... I'm gone.

Chapter 1

As my spirit begins to be lifted away from my ugly, stitched together body, I look around. Everything looks the same as it did a second ago, but I don't feel the same. The feeling is almost indescribable, and all I can say is that I feel like I'm asleep, but I am completely aware of everything around me. Am I dying? I look down at the body below me. It's me, but it's lifeless. I must be dying. As I continue to look down, I realize I am floating up.

Everything below me looks like ants. I look at the back of my hands, and notice, my spirit looks like... me, Darren Shan, the vampire. Not Darren Shan, the little person. I smile at the thought that I'm not ugly anymore. Well, I wasn't the handsomest person in the world before becoming a little person, but being myself again is better than being a stitched together thing like Harkat.

A cloud! A really big, white, puffy cumulus cloud too. I love those clouds! I reach out and touch the cloud, or at least try to. It's wet, and my hand passes right through it. My entire body passes through the cloud and I get completely drenched, but that's okay. I don't think it will affect me at all, since I'm dead. Or, I think I'm dead. I don't feel dead. But I could be. I can't say for sure that I am, but it would make sense that way, since I just... You know... turned into me and floated away.

I can't see my lifeless body down below anymore. I'm gonna miss it (not). I can't see the stadium, nor can I see any people. But there is one thing below me that sticks out like a sore thumb. My house. My house I lived in when I was twelve, before the freak show ruined my life.

I rise up about another twenty five feet and I can't see my house anymore, but I can see the entire town, then, the whole country, then the whole continent, then... the whole _world_. I'm in space! "Whoa," I say under my breath. Finally, I can talk again!

Out of nowhere, a big, lit up object comes shooting toward me. I yell a swear under my breath and dodge the giant object. I think it was a star. I take a look at it as it drifts away and realize it is indeed a star. As I look forward, what looks like a billion more stars come flying toward me. I think I am going to be hit, but instead, the stars shoot off in a different direction, as if I have a force field surrounding me. This is so cool, I think to myself. Does this happen to everyone when they die?

I put the question aside when I suddenly stop floating upward and instead stay still where I am. I move my arms up and down, to see if it will make me move, but it won't.

Curious, I try to touch a star. I have always wanted to. When I reach my arm out and try to touch it, I am shrouded by what looks like ribbons of various colors, but they are lights. The colors are red, blue and green and they are so bright it hurts my eyes. After all, I'm actually still going through the Purge, so all of my senses are still going crazy.

There is a loud buzzing sound in my ears and it is unbearable. I put my hands over my ears and close my eyes tight to block out the light. I open one eye just a tiny bit to see what's going on, and I see that the colored light surrounds me completely now. They are spinning around extremely fast, are ten times brighter then before, and are giving off heat. The heat is at an extremely scolding temperature, and I cannot bear any pain any longer. I was trying not to scream before, but now I can't help it. I let out the loudest cry I have ever cried, and that, as unfortunate as it is, does nothing to reduce the pain, but it's not like I thought it would anyway.

Then, the lights are gone. The pain of the heat stops. The buzzing stops, and I relax, but I still don't open my eyes. Where am I?

"Welcome to Paradise, Master Shan," a soft, familiar voice greets me. "I've been waiting for you." Reluctantly, I open my eyes. There, right in front of me the tall, scarred, orange-haired – and dead– Larten Crepsley comes into focus. This means I am surely dead as well.

My confused grimace turns to a bright smile when I see his face. We stare at each other for a moment, then I run forward into his arms and hug him. Then to my surprise, he hugs back. I look up at his face and see tears well in his eyes – it's a rare sight to see him show any emotions. I'm surprised he even let me hug him! Usually he would push me away, or not hug back. Then again, we are alone. I think he was just humiliated to be seen hugging someone. He may have changed, though. Death changes people more than you can imagine.

I'm unable to stop crying, and I haven't spoken yet because... well, I can't. I'm shocked to be seeing Mr. Crepsley again, and I don't know what to say.

"Hi," I say to my mentor quietly after a long pause as I continue to hug him. When I spoke it was hard, my voice is full of tears. Mr. Crepsley smiles even brighter now, and one single tear trickles down his face, but he stops crying after that. I pull away from the hug and wipe tears from my face.

We reminisce about the past for a long time, smiling brightly the whole time through. We don't talk about the recent past though. Not yet anyway.

Mr. Crepsley doesn't look like you would think a dead man would look like. He has a big vibrant smile on his face. He looks happy, despite the tears. He also looks younger! He still has the same features, but they are a bit different. It's hard to describe. And his voice is soft and warm, not like it usually was; cold and stern.

"As much as I'd hate to," I begin after a brief pause, "I have to tell you what's happened in the recent past." Mr. Crepsley looks at me, baffled by the fact I don't want to tell him about life when we were apart. If only he knew how horrible it was for me to find out Desmond Tiny was my _father__**. **_

I sigh then tell him about Desmond Tiny being my father and Steve Leonard being my brother. I'd stopped calling him Steve Leopard because I hate him – he doesn't deserve a nickname now – and his name rarely comes up anyway.

I tell Mr. Crepsley about who killed me, who resurrected me, how I was turned into a little person by Tiny, then how I died again after saving young me from living the same horrible life that I have lived by scaring young Darren away and stopping him from hearing what Steve said about wanting to become vampire, and also preventing young me from stealing Mr. Crepsley's spider.

I expect that Mr. Crepsley would be enraged, and start yelling or something to that effect, but he is as calm as he was before.

"You are okay with this?" I accuse him, amazed at his solemness.

"No! By the black blood of Harnon Oan, NO! I was that man's marionette along with the rest of the living beings on earth practically my entire life!" He frowns, then smiles again. "You should not worry about being Desmond's son. He did not feel like a father to you, I presume, so it should not be a matter you are concerned about. And anyway, you were bound to turn out how you were raised, and your parents – or who you saw as your parents – raised you," he explains, "and I believe they did an exceptional job with that, Darren." I smile.

"You may not see it the same way I do, but you helped raise me too," I add. "When I was still young, you taught me right from wrong, how to fight, and everything else I know. You are like a father to me."

"And you are like a son to me," Mr. Crepsley replies with a smile.

"So you're like my second daddy! Or actually... the third!" I say to tease him. I laugh as his face flushes. It's hilarious how he gets so red when he is teased. It's always hilarious.

"Darren, I should have suspected you would upset me not even five minutes after we get reunited again after years of being apart," Mr. Crepsley says and sighs, a bit disappointed.

"Sorry," I apologize sincerely, "I was only joking."

Mr. Crepsley frowns. I look over at him questioningly. "Why are you dead?" he asks me. He realizes it is a weird question and grimaces. I must admit, it is an extremely weird question to ask. Mr. Crepsley fixes the awkward pause with, "Everyone has to die sometime, and your time came, but why?"

"What's wrong with being dead?" I retort.

Mr. Crepsley sighs again. "Nothing is wrong with anyone else being dead, but you being dead is not right! Or at least the reason for you being dead is wrong. I thought Steve was a friend," Mr. Crepsley replies. His voice is very loud and annoyed. "I am very confused."

I think now it is time to spill the unfortunate, ugly truth. I don't want to hurt Mr. Crepsley by telling him he died for nothing and the Vampaneze Lord he killed was a fraud, but I can't bring myself to lie to him either. I could tell him that we won the war and that the Vampaneze Lord was killed by him and all the vampires lived happily ever after.

"Mr. Crepsley?"

"Yes?"

I have to tell him, or someone has to. He won't just figure it out on his own. It's too unbelievable. He's not going to want to know once he does. He died believing he saved us all, died as a hero and decided the destiny of the War of Scars.

"Darren?" Mr. Crepsley gets my attention. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and spoke.

"The 'Vampaneze Lord' – the guy you killed in the Cavern of Retribution – was..." I swallowed hard, "He was a fake, Mr. Crepsley."

"What?" he said, not in anger, but in confusion.

"You killed the wrong guy. Steve told me who it really was after you died. He came over to mock me, then he told me the truth," I pause.

"Who was it? It was not Gannen, I hope, for Vancha's sake," Mr. Crepsley says quietly, still not mad, but I know he soon would be. Mr. Crepsley looks me in the eye.

"It was Steve," I almost choke on the words, "He was the Vampaneze Lord," I say quickly and quietly, preparing for a movie-like clap of thunder to make the situation seem that much more dramatic. But, it doesn't come.

Mr. Crepsley's look of confusion, disbelief and fury is unforgettable. I can feel his hatred for Steve as if it is my own. He knew Steve was evil from the very second he tested his blood and refused to make him a vampire. Mr. Crepsley was right. Steve was evil. But no one knew he had this much evil blood flowing through his veins.

"Th-that _thing_!" Mr. Crepsley yells, at a loss for better words. "So he was the one, huh? I would have gladly ripped his head off if I'd known he was the Vampaneze Lord!" I have never seen him this mad since I accidentally let Murlough escape. "But he is in the Lake of souls now. Ha! I hope he drowns!" Mr. Crepsley yells furiously.

"I have always known he was evil, but this! Why did I not see this coming? How could I have been so blind! I could have just went after Steve in the cavern, but no, I had to go after the fake Lord instead! Stupid, stupid, STUPID!" he rambles on. He shakes his head sadly and paces miserably. I feel sorry for him.

"No, Mr. Crepsley, nothing is your fault. You did what we all thought was right," I reassure him. "If anything, it's my fault. Think about how many opportunities _I_ had to kill him. If I just killed him then, I would have saved so many lives and–" Mr. Crepsley stops me with the wave of a hand.

"Darren, if I know you correctly – and I am sure that I do – you would have gotten rid of him right then and there if you knew what was to come," Mr. Crepsley smiles. I smile back. I use this time to tell him about all the little things that happened while we were apart. I take my time. After all, we are in Paradise.

I tell him even the tiniest little details, from what color the sky was when I saw Tommy again, to the pain of becoming a little person. He listens carefully, but when I come to the part about Vancha, Evana and Gannen's kid, all Mr. Crepsley does is laugh. I can see why, but I am not going to get into that. It's too much of an odd subject.

I start to tell him more about how I sacrificed myself for everyone. When I finish, he has tears in his eyes once again and he stares into my eyes. "You truly are a real hero, Darren Shan," he says, "A hero who has changed a lot since the last time I've seen him!"

"Not really. Why do you think so?" I say humbly. "Well, maybe my hair changed a bit but–," I hold up a few strands of my long, raven-black hair.

"No, not just that," Mr. Crepsley cut me off, "Just take a look at yourself! You've grown just as tall as me!" Mr. Crepsley sighs contently, happy at the fact I didn't turn out to be the useless blob everyone probably thought I would be.

"I never thought I would see the day, but Darren, you have muscles!" he jokes and taps my arm. Ha ha. Funny. But I smile anyway. "I can see how much you have matured, Darren." I can feel how proud he is of me just by looking into his eyes. "You have become a great vampire, Darren."

"Hey, that's what Vancha said, too!" I say remembering the dirty, green-haired Vampire Prince.

"How has he been?" Mr. Crepsley asks. "Apart from having a child with Evana," he almost laughs.

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen his since I died... The third time. I wish I could see him again," I frown. Mr. Crepsley frowns too then puts a hand on my shoulder to comfort me.

"But all your old friends, Gavner, Arra, Kurda and Paris are here." He slaps his own face with the palm of his hand. "Oh, of course! I forgot to show you around! How can I call myself a good mentor?"

I thought this was all that Paradise was; this weird, blank, white, endless space full of nothing. There are no walls, a ceiling and no doors. Mr. Crepsley says this is usually the first thing anyone sees when they come to Paradise – unless the gods want to see them – and they usually go mad because they can't figure out how to get to the actual Paradise. They are supposed to open some sort of portal I guess, or at least that's what Mr. Crepsley says. Luckily, I had the welcoming committee.

I do what Mr. Crepsley says and I think of a portal. I close my eyes and think of the same type of portal Mr. Tiny uses to get from dimension to dimension. When I open my eyes there is a bright blue glowing door ahead of me. It isn't at all the same as what Mr. Tiny uses, but it is still a portal. My first thought: This is cool. My second thought: What's behind that door? My third thought: Why is is glowing?

I give Mr. Crepsley an unsure glance, and he opens the door and walks in. I follow him reluctantly and uneasily. I am not afraid of the door. What's a door going to do? Give me a splinter? Close itself on me? Yeah, Darren. Just keep telling yourself that you aren't afraid.

On the other side of the door there is... Paradise. Simply that. Just as I imagined it would be. A great garden with elegant animals and plants. In the center sits a massive pond. Huts line the garden and it's beautiful green grass in straight, even rows. And there, right in the middle of the vast forest, stand mountains. One of which is a replica of Vampire Mountain. I smile as I realize this.

Being here better not be too much like being on Earth. I had finally come to rest in peace, and I mean peace! I don't want to have to deal with evil Vampaneze, or psychopathic people who control fate! I am just going to relax and tease Crepsley occasionally, just like old times, then just laugh when we realize how stupid we are being, then we will move on.

Everyone is peaceful here. No one with a worry on their minds. They don't have a reason to. No pain, no fear. Only happiness and trust. For now.

* * *

><p>I will be updating soon, probably withing the next forty-eight hours. I already have the next few chapters written down. Please review! I'd appreciate it. I have given this story a bit of a comical twist to it, because it gets a bit dramatic... not really sad though... It's hard to describe... Anyway, constructive criticism is ALWAYS welcome. Stay awesome!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to the zero of you who reviewed! It sure means a lot... :( Without further ado, Chapter two. I DO NOT OWN CIRQUE DU FREAK but it would be cool if I did!

* * *

><p>Chapter Two<p>

I already know it will be nice here. I want to play some pranks on Mr. Crepsley. Maybe I should just leave him to sleep in peace. At least for one night!

"Darren, is that you?" a young, familiar man's voice calls from across the massive garden and I toss my day-dreams aside for another time. "Is that really you?" I look up to see Kurda Smahlt running like crazy toward me. "Are you okay? Dying is hard and painful from my experience. Maybe you should rest."

I laughed in response. "No, Kurda, I'm fine. I just kind of... faded away, I guess you could say." I had forgiven the blond vampire would-be Prince a long time ago because I knew he was only doing what he thought was right. All he wished to do was help the clans by bringing them closer together so the stupid feud between them would be over and done with. He had always helped me and told me vampires should do as they pleased and they didn't need to sacrifice their lives just for the sake of other people respecting them more. Because when you are gone, there isn't much there to respect anymore.

Soon, Arra arrives. "I'm glad you finished him off!" she comments, referring to me killing Steve. (I told her about it shortly after I greeted her). Arra steps up behind Kurda and puts a hand on his shoulder.

"You haven't come just to beat me up, did you Arra?" Kurda asks Arra with a forced laugh. It looks like Mr. Crepsley's ex-mate has still been given Kurda a hard time.

"Oh, no, Kurda, don't worry about me!" Arra replies sarcastically. "But don't think I'm done with you yet," she warns.

"So Darren," she turns to me and smiles, "how's your fighting?" Now it's my turn to be scared!

While Kurda and Arra argue whether or not it would be bad if Arra tried to break someone's legs, I got some time to pull Mr. Crepsley aside and interrogate him.

"So, Crepsley, how's it going with Arra?" I tease Mr. Crepsley quietly so only he could hear me. His face turns that famous tomato-red color.

"Uh..." he scratches his scar thoughtfully, like he always does when he's thinking of what to say or how to say it. "Er... Well, all is well. We plan on getting together again, but–" I stopped him there.

"That's awesome!" I call out, forgetting to stay quiet. I recall the time when we went to Lady Evana's cave and she gave Mr. Crepsley a portrait of Arra on the back of nine poisonous frogs. He stayed up all night staring at the picture and crying. He seemed so pathetic at that time, but now that I look back, more than likely I would have been the same way.

"So should I call her my step-mommy from now on?" I tease. Mr. Crepsley's had enough of my teasing for one day and reacts fast. He tried to hit me, but I dodged the blow. I'm a lot faster than I was the last time he saw me fight. He attacks me and we fall to the ground wrestling.

But he wasn't intending to hurt me, just to show his anger through violence. Thank the gods it wasn't a real fight because if it was, I would be a goner! I scramble to my feet and run away towards the rest of the group; Arra, Kurda and now Gavner and Paris. The two arrived when Mr. Crepsley and I were talking. I look back and see the furious Mr. Crepsley. He charges after me but I move out of the way so instead of knocking _me_ into the water, he falls in instead. As he bobs back up to the surface, his face is red with anger and he swears at me. But I laugh anyway, along with everyone else. Except of course the drenched Mr. Crepsley who sits in the grass and pouts like a child, trying to dry off.

After some time, we finally cease laughing, and Mr. Crepsley is still upset. I notice that Paris looks pretty good for a dead guy who died fighting a bear. "I knew you would make it to Paradise, Darren," he says. I smile. Too bad I had to be resurrected then killed again to get here. I was brought here by default, really. But at least I know I did something good. If you can't save your own, shoot for another person's dimension.

"I am kind of sad I missed so much," Gavner complains later in the day while we were all resting in the Hall of Khledon Lurt after a long day of talking, sparring and catching up on lost times. "If it weren't for a certain someone," he shoots an accusing look at Kurda, "I wouldn't be so out of the loop."

"We've been over this, Gavner! I'm sorry!" Kurda whined.

"Oh, I know you're sorry. But I just can't believe you killed me! You could have killed someone else! Why me out of all people? Why didn't you just kill yourself?" Gavner yelled.

"You know why I did it! You got in the way, and you would have told on me!" Kurda says, and sounds more like a child than anything.

"You are so annoying! You had it coming anyway! Darren isn't stupid. That's why _he_ told. Anyway, what good did my death do, apart from that one tiny thing?" Gavner argues.

"It was convenient for all of us because no one had to listen to your obnoxious snoring anymore! Maybe I did the world a favor!" Kurda retorted.

"Kurda, Gavner! Settle this like men!" Paris butted in. "There is no sense acting like foolish children. You are going to have to live like this forever if you don't just forgive and forget. Yes, Kurda killed you, Gavner. But you have to just get over it. There is no way out of Paradise and you will both be here arguing for the rest of eternity if you don't stop now. So get along or stay away from each other." Paris always manages to find a solution for everything.

I laugh quietly to myself as Kurda and Gavner shake hands reluctantly after Paris forces them too. I can clearly see the feud between them isn't quite over just yet.

Later, at about sunset when Mr. Crepsley, Arra and I are in Mr. Crepsley's room talking, Mr. Crepsley tells me he heard that a portal to heaven could be opened. "Cool," I say, "now I can go see Shancus, Sam and Mr. Tall! Is Mr. Tall human?"

Mr. Crepsley chuckles. "Yes, Darren, believe it or not."

After I ask about a thousand more ridiculous questions from me, Mr. Crepsley starts to get annoyed. Mission accomplished. "Darren, you are being annoying. Go to sleep," he demands and points to the door.

"Yes, Master!" I joke and run out of Mr. Crepsley's cell and into mine, across from his.

I'm not tired, but I crawl into my hammock and try to fall asleep. I want to open the portal to heaven and see Sam, but I don't know what he will think when he sees me and what he will say. I'll just have to find that out later. I plan on going to find him soon.

I'm really glad I died! Let me rephrase that. I'm really glad that when I died I came to this Paradise and got to see all my old friends again. I can't help but think it's all a dream, that Mr. Crepsley isn't here, that Gavner, Arra, Paris and the others aren't here, that I'm not here. Only one way to find out! If I wake up in the morning and Mr. Crepsley isn't here, then, I know I'm dreaming all this up!

I wake up in the morning feeling as refreshed as ever. A bright sunny new day in Vampire Mountain! I walk over to the window in my room, pull up the blinds and open it up. A light, relaxing breeze hits me and the warm, sunlight washes over me and I suddenly start to think, since when did any of the rooms have windows in them? I ignore the question and look around my room. There are _two_ hammocks in it. I ignore this too.

Surprisingly, unlike other mornings, I'm not groggy at all. I'm alive, awake, alert and enthusiastic for the day to come. Well, not alive, but, you know what I mean.

I walk out of the room and down the hall, and out of the corner of my eye, I see someone familiar, and I swear it is Vanez. It may be. People die and come here all the time. I'm sad that he's dead. I continue to walk down the hall, a skip in my step.

I decide to head down to the Hall of Khledon Lurt, where most likely everyone will be. I arrive at my destination – the dining hall. I look around for the stubborn orange-haired vampire, Mr. Crepsley, but he is no where to be seen. He must be sleeping.

I turn around and run back to where Mr. Crepsley's room is. Or would be. I open the door and look in the room to see that not only is there a hammock instead of a coffin, but there is someone who is definitely **not** Mr. Crepsley in the hammock. The person there is a man with short black hair, a small beard and a bunch of tattoos all over his arms. I slowly back out of the room and close the wooden door. Why would he change rooms? Sure I was annoying him yesterday, but that wouldn't make him move farther away from me, would it?

I run back to the dining hall, a little confused now, and look for someone I know to ask them where Crepsley went. Vanez. "Hey, Vanez!" I call. Vanez walks over to me.

"Yo, Darren! What's up?" Vanez greets me.

"Nothing much," I reply. "Have you seen Crepsley around? Some other person is in his room." Vanez looks at me with a confused expression.

"No," he says and raises and eyebrow. "Are you feeling okay?" Vanez asks me and puts his hand on my forehead to see if I have a fever.

"I'm fine, Vanez," I move his hand away from my forehead. "Where's Kurda?"

Vanez looks at me as if I have four heads. "Why would you be looking for him? He's dead," he asks me.

"I know. So am I. You are too. Everyone here is," I say this in a worry filled voice, and I think Vanez senses that I think somethings wrong. I frown.

"Darren, what's wrong with you?"

"Gavner, Arra, Paris? They aren't here, are they?" glumly, I sit down on one of the benches, realizing my biggest fear has come true. Vanez shakes his head no. "So I won't be able to see Mr. Crepsley again. It was all a dream."

The image of the window in my room came into mind. There are no windows, and if someone put in in while I was asleep, I would have heard. I look over at the torches on the wall. Why is the fire purple? Why is Vanez wearing a dress now? He wasn't wearing that a second ago. Why is the floor water? Why are there cats instead of vampires? What is happening to me? I'm dreaming!

"Vanez, this isn't real, this is a dream! You aren't here! The torches are NOT purple, there are no cats here, and if I wake up right now, Mr. Crepsley will be in his room, not some creeper!" I scream, getting the attention of all the cat-vampires.

I close my eyes, then open them up. Everything stays the same. I do it again. No change. Once more. Nothing. "Oh no," I groan as I run out of the dining hall, water splashing under my feet. Instead of the normal door and a hallway, there is a slide. I go down the slide and when I come out I'm in my hammock. The door bursts open and an angry Vanez storms in, still wearing a long, light blue dress.

Instead of strangling me like I suspected he would, he hands me a light pink rabbit and says, "Happy birthday!" I really hope I am dreaming. Otherwise, I want to know who drugged me!

Okay, what am I going to do! Think, Darren, think. Wake up! Wake up, Darren! With that useless attempt, I call Mr. Crepsley's name, hoping that I will talk in my sleep and Mr. Crepsley will here me and come to wake me up. "Mr. Crepsley! Wake me up! Mr. Crepsley!" I scream at the top of my lungs.

"Darren!" calls a voice in front of me. My eyes snap open and I jump out of my hammock.

"Mr. Crepsley! Is this real?" I ask the vampire quickly.

"Yes, Darren, it is. What has gotten into?" he asks me.

"I think someone drugged my subconscious," I chuckle. Mr. Crepsley looks at me with a confused expression.

"You are strange," he says and walks away.

Life is like it was when I was alive although, thankfully vampires here have a choice whether or not to sleep by day. The sun isn't harmful for us anymore. We also no longer possess the need – or want! – to drink blood. It will be a big change, but I never liked to drink blood, so I am perfectly okay with it. And to top it all off, we can't age! What more could you want (other than to be alive again, of course)?

Most nights, I wake up in the middle of the night to see if everything is real, to make sure I am not dreaming. When I creep out of my hammock and look through the crack of Mr. Crepsley's door, I see Arra and Mr. Crepsley talking, and I know it's real and I feel like everything is going to be okay. This is the happy beginning of the end of my life.

I usually stay in the room next to Mr. Crepsley unless I feel like staying in one of the vacant huts in the garden. It's rare for me to want to stay in a hut, though. Really, I never want to. I stay in the mountain unless I am annoying Mr. Crepsley and he demands that I get out of the mountain and go somewhere else.

I like staying near them because it finally feels like home. Like I belong with them. They are like my parents. I can barely remember my real parents, and I can't remember what having parents is like, but if I had to guess, this is it.

I get some free-time during the day and decide to use my opportunity to go see Sam Grest. I use this time to visit Shancus too. He was named in my honor, after all! How could I forget about him?

Sam is extremely happy to see me, or as he says, see me when I am actually capable of responding. He says he can remember dying vividly. I bet it was scary to be the one killed in that incident! Sam says he wants to know more about why he died, so I tell him exactly what happened from RV's part in it to my part in it (He knows I was a vampire from when I told him right before he died).  
>Sam is furious at RV. I try to tell him that RV was extremely sorry, but Sam refuses to forgive him, but I can see why. The man who had something to do with his death was sorry. It's hard to forgive someone for that.<p>

"It felt like I was still alive after my death," Sam states. "I stood by you at all times and watched you win battles and stuff. I practically drove myself crazy trying to speak to you but you could rarely hear me; only when you were desperate for advise." In response I smile, happy that I always had a friend by me even if I couldn't hear or see him.

We talk a lot about random things; whatever the conversion comes to. A lot about what it was like for Sam to be ignored by me all these years. He says he could feel the same pain I felt when I was turned into a little person and he cried a lot when Mr. Crepsley died. Sooner than I did. I bet even _Mika_ cried sooner than me!

It upsets me to talk about it, though I get over it quick. Mr. Crepsley's death was really hard to deal with. After he died, I just became a jerk to everyone and inflicted my pain and suffering onto them. But I am sure everyone forgives me by now.

Soon, the sun is setting and I open a portal back to the mountain. As I leave, I tell Sam I will be back to see him soon. I don't want to come to Paradise and be surrounded by friends and then never see them more than once.

I live happily with all of my deceased friends. Every so often, I wake Mr. Crepsley in his sleep, just to check he's really there and that this isn't just a dream. I help Kurda with his map making of Paradise occasionally, but only when I can't find anything else to do. It just gives me something to do while I am stuck here forever. Because as much as I would sometimes like to, there is no going back to live on Earth.

Late in the night, it comes to my mind that I may grow tired of being in Paradise forever. There is tons to do, but here it's like you are living forever even though you are dead. I would hate to live forever. A few centuries as a vampire, maybe. But never-ending life, no thanks, I'll pass. I wonder if Paradise is supposed to be a second chance to live a better life.

It can feel like some sort of torture when I think of Debbie. I want to make up, because before I died, things were kinda bad between us. But when she does die, and even if we do make up, she won't kiss me.

Weeks pass and an old friend comes to Paradise. It's good to see Mika Ver Leth again, but so sad that he died. He said he was shot by a vampet while fighting for the clan . So I guess the War of Scars isn't quite over yet. Probably because both me and Steve are dead. Technically, Steve died first so the victory should be ours, but it's not exactly documented. Except in my diary of course. But who's gonna believe me?

Everything stays the same after that. There are a few new faces in Paradise, but no one I really knew well. We do the same old boring things until eventually, I can feel a new soul coming. And it's not a good one. Paradise is about to get a lot more interesting.

* * *

><p>DUN DUN DUUUUUH! Dramaticness! The next chapter will be up sooner or later. Sooner rather than later. I promise.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you to Wolf seeker for reviewing! I'm surprised I had time to update today... Geez, I have been EXTREMELY busy lately! Well anyway, enjoy chapter three where something kinda cool happens... The story has been a little slow in chapter one and two, but this is where the semi-awesomeness leading up to the real awesomeness starts... Okay!

Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I, nor will I ever, own the amazing Cirque Du Freak series. That series is the property of Darren Shan. But this fan fiction is MINE!:P But yours to enjoy! And hopefully review...?

* * *

><p>Chapter Three<p>

"Darren! Where are you?" Mr. Crepsley calls to me through the darkness of the woods. There is a lot of worry in his voice.

"Mr. Crepsley, I'm over here!" I direct him towards where I am sitting, on a branch of an odd-looking tree. A worried looking Mr. Crepsley flits towards me and skids to a sudden halt as he approaches me.

"Darren," he wheezes, hunched over and out of breath. "Do you feel it? The new soul?" I glare at him, a confused expression on my face even though I know what he is talking about. "When someone we know that was close to us comes to Paradise we can feel it. There's a soul coming, and I have a very bad feeling about it."

"Yeah, I felt weird this morning, like something was going to go horribly wrong. Is that what happened to you?" I ask him as I jump off of the limb. He nods. "Is it bad if you get that feeling when a soul comes? What does it mean?"

"It means an enemy is coming! Or, at least, that is what I presume," Mr. Crepsley states, finally catching his breath.

"An enemy?" I repeat, unsure that my mentor is correct. "What enemy is this?"

Mr. Crepsley starts pacing. "Think, Darren. Who is our greatest enemy? Someone we both hate, who vowed to torture us."

I pause and think. "Bat broth?" I use as a reply because both me and Mr. Crepsley hate bat broth. Apparently, bat broth hates Mr. Crepsley too!

Mr. Crepsley chuckles dryly and rolls his eyes. "Yes, Darren. Bat broth," he says sarcastically. Then, the gears start turning in my head. I think of the one person who I hate, who hates me and who vowed to kill me and Mr. Crepsley and succeeded to do just that. I remember the person who I have known almost my whole life. My best friend who had turned into a hideous monster – Steve Leonard.

I say the name out loud to myself in realization, just loud enough for Mr. Crepsley to hear too. Mr. Crepsley nods his head and takes a seat on a rock. "I believe it is Steve."

"It can't be!" I yell defiantly. "He died then went to the Lake of Souls, just like he was supposed to. He can't be here!" Steve being in Paradise has to be a dream. No, a nightmare.

"I have to go meet him!" Mr. Crepsley says to himself. I overhear him. "You have to stay here, Master Shan. Just until I break his scrawny little neck!"

"Mr. Crepsley, that will be no use. Steve's already dead. He can't die now," I remind him calmly.

"So you want to deprive me of the thrill that comes with breaking someone's neck?" he asks solemnly. "That is rude. I will just snap his neck then flit away as quick as possible," he says as he starts to open a portal to the blank, white space I was in when I first came to Paradise.

"No, Mr. Crepsley, stop. You're wasting your time." He starts to argue back and continue to walk off but I won't let him. He becomes more and more frustrated and starts to yell.

"Leave me alone! Let me find him!" he yells firmly. I start to object again but as if to answer Mr. Crepsley's wishes, a portal opens up and a young, disheveled figure staggers out and falls to his knees.

There in front of me, kneels my sworn enemy, Steve Leonard. I stare at him wide-eyed and shocked. I haven't seen him in two years. Why couldn't it stay that way? He doesn't seem like the same Steve I knew all these years. His white-blonde hair is messy atop his head and his shabby clothes are tattered and torn. Among sadness, fear and pain is a look of confusion. He pauses to look at me and puts all of his confusion behind him as he shivers and begins to speak.

"I... I'm really s-s-sorry," his voice falters and gets high-pitched and tears fill his pair of icy-blue, sorrowful eyes as he stands up and looks at me in the eyes. Me and Steve are now face-to-face and Mr. Crepsley is standing about five feet away from us, not showing any signs of wanting to strangle Steve anymore after seeing him like this, sad and disheveled.

I say nothing as I am completely speechless. Steve continues. "After Desmond Tiny told us we are brothers and that he is our father, I didn't want to kill you. I had the chance, but I just couldn't bring myself to kill you," he says this not only to remind me or maybe to make me feel bad, but also to inform Mr. Crepsley.

"You lied to me so I would kill you, so you could save the universe from the Lord of the Shadows. Out of anger and self-pity, I killed you. I killed my one true friend and my brother. And I can't even begin to forgive myself. Not unless you forgive me," Steve stares into my eyes willing me to speak. But I won't. I could, but I don't feel like it. I want to make him suffer after what he has done to me, to Mr. Crepsley and to the rest of the world.

Steve continues to ramble on. "I thought I would die and go straight to Paradise, but I didn't. I took a detour straight to the Lake of Souls. For a long time I kept thinking, 'Finally, those idiots Creepy Crepsley and Shan are DEAD!'" Mr. Crepsley huffs and rolls his eyes at this remark, "but then, after a lot of thinking and driving myself insane in the Lake of Souls, I couldn't help but realize the truth. I was wrong. I had always been wrong. But you... You've only done good things for everyone else. You even sacrificed yourself to save the world." Tears start pouring from his eyes and rolling down his face – Steve is crying. But I don't feel sorry for him one bit. Neither does Mr. Crepsley. After all, he killed the two of us.

Steve continues to talk, still blubbering like a baby, "I was driving myself crazy wanting to apologize to you. I hated myself, and I still hate myself for everything I said, did or thought of doing or saying. My life revolved around getting back at you two – killing you. And now that I have, I regret it completely."

After a long silence, Mr. Crepsley finally spoke up, "Steve," he says this name harshly, "I understand that you are apologizing, and I am not completely sure your apologies are sincere or not, but the last time we let you into our lives, you killed us," he raises an eyebrow at Steve. "But I want to know one thing, Steve. How did you – the most vicious, horrible, idiotic, evil monster of them all – escape the Lake of Souls?" he says it like this to get a reaction out of Steve, to test him.

Steve's face reddens and he clenches his fists in anger. He looks at Mr. Crepsley as if he wants to bite his head off, stuff it with garlic and toss it in a river.

I know Steve better than he thinks. He has never regretted anything he has ever done to anyone to hurt them. I don't know what to believe now. He seems to be sincere, but he's probably lying. I have known him long enough to say he is an amazing liar. How do you think he got through middle school? He could easily fool someone to could get what he wanted from them, no matter what it is. But what could he want from us?

"Mr. Crepsley," I whisper to him and I put a hand on his shoulder, "I think we should give Steve some time to rest before we interrogate him any more. He seems pretty shaken up." Mr. Crepsley sighs then nods in agreement.

I step forward until I am right in front of Steve. He is afraid to look me in the eye now, so he looks down and makes a pile of dirt with his foot nervously. I can't blame him, me and Crepsley are a pretty intimidating pair, especially given the circumstances. "I can't trust you Steve. I just can't." At that moment, I could see in Steve's eyes, true sadness.

In Mr. Crepsley's quarters, we sit before the great fireplace. Mr. Crepsley speaks up. "So, Steve. How did you find your way out of the Lake of Souls?" he brings the question up again as he crosses his legs and sips his coffee solemnly.

Steve pauses for a moment to think. Like a lot of people that get fished out of the Lake, he has a hard time remembering some events that happened before he died. Being in the Lake may have damaged his mind. But his hesitation could also be a sign that he is feeding us false information and lies.

"Evana released me," he finally says after his long hesitation. "She said she was trying to learn how to make Little People and stuff like that, but instead of doing that she decided to send me straight to Paradise so you could apologize to me."

"Excuse me? Me, apologize to _you_?" I huff.

Steve nods. "She told me that you told her you wanted to see me again so you could apologize and try to become friends with me again."

"You're lying!" I accuse him and jump up out of my seat in the cozy leather chair to the left of the fireplace. "That is the stupidest lie I have ever heard! Especially then, I hated you more! I'm starting to warm up to you and you start filling my head with lies!"

"You are warming up to him?" Mr. Crepsley asks me with slight worry in his voice. I shake my head no, despite what I said. The truth is I'm not, it just sounded like the right thing to say.

"I am not lying, Darren. I swear! Evana must have been the one lying." I am about to throw a rude comeback at him but Mr. Crepsley interrupts me before I could say anything else.

"Let us go for a walk shall we?"

Luckily, to get to the garden we don't need to travel down the mountain; we can just open a portal. If we needed to hike down the mountain, it could take several weeks to get down there without being able to flit. We might be dead, but we still respect the laws of the vampires.

As we walk around the garden, many vampires and (the very few) vampaneze stare at Steve coldly. Mr. Crepsley must have done his job in spreading the word of how evil Steve was (or is, we don't know for sure yet) well. Mr. Crepsley pauses and looks around as if thinking about something. "Steve, you find a vacant hut and make yourself comfortable. Darren, follow me back to the mountain," Mr. Crepsley says as he opens up a portal back to the mountain.

I follow him through the portal, then around twisting corridors and into his cell. When we reach his room I sit is the same leather chair I did earlier as it's my favorite one in his room. I always liked being in his room. Every room Mr. Crepsley has ever stayed in looked really nice.

The vampire sat in the chair opposite from me. "I was thinking," he started, "if we give Steve what he always wanted, maybe he will become a better person."

"Uh... I'm not following."

He groans. "If we give him something he really wanted, then he will become... less evil."

"You just said the same thing, but rephrased it," I sigh, still confused.

Mr. Crepsley sighs. "Why did Steve end up hating us and wanting to kill us?"

"Because you wouldn't make him a vampire. You made _me_ a vampire instead and Steve thought I was betraying him."

"Precisely!" Mr. Crepsley exclaims and snaps his fingers. "He hated us because he wanted to be a vampire and I did not turn him into one. So, let us make him happy and turn him into a vampire."

"Crepsley!" I yell back. "Have you lost your mind? Listen to yourself! You're the man who wanted to break his neck."

"Just hear me out," Mr. Crepsley argued. "He may have changed. We cannot be sure he did, and of course I do not and I will not under any circumstances ever trust him, but if we do this for him he will no longer have a reason to be mad at us."

"That's the craziest thing I have ever heard," I shake my head. "So crazy it just might work!"

After a good night's sleep and a quick breakfast, we are ready to go through with our plan. But I can see a problem. When I re-blooded Darius, we both had very horrible seizures that lasted for long periods of time and it was very painful. And Darius was only half Vampaneze. So is Steve, but if either me or Crepsley do it we will still be in a lot of pain. We need to find another way.

I bring the problem up with Mr. Crepsley. He seems to have thought of it already. "I have a plan," he says. "It is difficult to explain, but what I can tell you is, is it will be practically painless for the both of us."

"I like that idea already!" I exclaim happily. "But how do we know he will be able to even feel the pain? I haven't gotten hurt since I have been here so I wouldn't know."

"Me neither." After a short pause, Mr. Crepsley slaps me in the face with the back of his hand. I fall out of my seat, clutching the spot on my face where he had hit me. "Did you feel that?" he asks me with a smirk.

"Yes!" I practically squeal at him. "Never do that again!"

Mr. Crepsley laughs. "I cannot promise anything."

"Mr. Crepsley, that _really _hurt!" I complain. "Promise never to do it again!"

"Do not be such a baby."

Mr. Crepsley and I come to Steve's hut and I knock on the door. The door opens just a crack and when I see Steve I smile and wave at him, but Mr. Crepsley stays solemn and just stands there. When Steve sees me, he swings the door open all the way.

"Hello, Mr. Crepsley. Good morning, Master Shan," Steve greets us.

"Never call me that, or I will kill you," I threaten him as I step inside his hut and take a seat on his couch, uninvited and being a bit rude. Mr. Crepsley does the same as me.

"So what brings you guys here?" Steve asks us with a big smile, being completely friendly as if he thinks we are all just a bunch of friends.

"We have an offer for you," Mr. Crepsley states. Steve stays silent, almost scared to find out what it is. "When you were a boy, all you wanted was for me – or any other vampire – to turn you into a vampire, correct?" Mr. Crepsley asks.

"Yes," Steve answers shakily, still a bit scared. Mr. Crepsley smiles and cocks his head to the side and raises an eyebrow, then gives a small smile. "You mean–," Steve realizes what Mr. Crepsley is offering and he smiles brightly. Mr. Crepsley nods his head.

"Well, if you are going to go through with this, then I suggest we get it over with now," Mr. Crepsley says with a sigh. Steve nods, nervous because he knows what will happen to him and how much pain there will be.

Mr. Crepsley uses his nail to make a small cut in Steve's forearm. Mr. Crepsley makes a cut on his own arm and then... Sucks his own blood into his mouth, but doesn't swallow it. Like he did when he gave Steve the antidote for Madame Octa's venom all those years ago in the hospital, he spits the blood into Steve's cut, releasing the blood into Steve's bloodstream. Steve screams out in agony and falls to the floor shaking as the vampire cells fought the Vampaneze cells, just as I did when I re-blooded Darius.

There is no telling how long this will last. But it's boring for me and Mr. Crepsley just to stand here in Steve's hut and watch him trembling on the floor, so hopefully if the luck of the vampires is with us, it won't last for too much longer.

Steve's seizure has been lasting for over twenty minutes. There is nothing we can do now but hope and wait. As Steve stops shaking, he stands up, points at Mr. Crepsley and mumbles something unintelligible and hard to understand to him, then he falls backward, unconscious.

For hours, me and Mr. Crepsley sit on the couch watching Steve silently. Then, much to our relief, Steve stirs then sits up easily, despite the terrible pain he has in his head from when he bumped it when he fell. He looks a lot less purple, so that must be a sign that it worked (Vampaneze have a natural purple pigment). He also looks very unhealthy, but that's all part of the transformation.

"How are you feeling?" Mr. Crepsley asks the pathetic man and kneels by his side. Suddenly and before Steve could respond, Mr. Crepsley gouges his arm with a sharp, pointed nail and tastes the blood. "That is vampire blood. There is not any trace of Vampaneze blood left," he says to me as he wipes Steve's blood on the carpet.

"So, what do you want to do now, Steve?" I ask. A brief pause.

"Apologize."

We go through the portal to human Heaven because Steve wants to apologize to Shancus. Mr. Crepsley doesn't object, but I don't think it's that good of an idea. I think about when Steve killed Shancus. (I can only imagine what Evra will do if he ever sees Steve again!) I don't know how well little Shancus remembers his death, but I don't want him to think about it. But Steve insists on apologizing.

When Shancus sees Steve, he runs way and hides behind a bush. I follow him to his mediocre hideout and I try to coax him out of hiding. "It's okay," I assure him. "Come on out, he doesn't bite."

He follows me, but he is still unsure about Steve. Steve comes up to us and starts to try to talk to Shancus. "Hi. I just wanted to say that I am extremely sorry for–," Shancus picks up a rock and throws it at Steve's face, leaving a really bad cut and a bruise. Steve's face turns red in anger and he clenches his fists, probably wanting to hit Shancus back. But he holds back and walks away.

"I told you it was a bad idea!" I mock him as I we sit in his hut and Steve tends to the cut, using his "super-spit".

After that, Steve went around apologizing to all the people he could find that he killed or did something bad to and was able to gain a bit of trust back. But I can't trust him. I never can.

* * *

><p>AN: GASP! Okay, we all know that Darren doesn't like Steve anymore, since he killed him! But what will happen later? Dun dun DUUUH! I promise I WILL update as much as possible and will finish writing this fan fiction eventually! It's hard sometimes! I have already written to around chapter six or seven, so when that comes on to fan fictions, and I don't update for like a week, that's your cue to give me advice! Okay, this A/N is too long for my taste, and I have things to do, places to go and people to torment, (- Quote from Desmond Tiny... yes, I hate him, but I just LOVE this quote!) so I shall return evntually with another chapter! (Probably by tomorrow! Or if I get bored, later today.)

Mr. Crepsley: She is off to write some more!

Me: Yeah, what he said!

Mr. Crepsley: And if she has made any mistakes in this fan fiction with grammar and things like that, do not blame her, blame her randomly appearing stupidity! And her age... 13-ish...

Stay awesome!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hello, fan fiction readers! Here is another chapter of Evil in Paradise! And... Gavner has a girlfriend! Yay! Her name is Lizz, and she is NOT an OC... She is actually from a story on Darren Shan's website, written by, obviously, Darren Shan. It's called An Affair of the Night... I am sure if you Google it, it will show up... uh... Maybe... I dont know... Check his website.  
>This chapter's a bit short but enjoy it anyway and please review! Or else! Not really! :D (If you flame, I'll sic my ninja monkeys on you!)<p>

I will be updating every Thursday at around seven-ish or eight-ish pm, instead of just random days and random times, because I find it's better that way. Next Thursday, seven or eight-ish, new chapter. Be prepared.

Disclaimer... I do not own CDF, but I seriously wish I did! Darren Shan owns it... yup... **  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

It's hard to except that Steve killed me two years and two months ago. It's also hard to except that a lot of my friends are dead. But I am glad to have them around in this wonderful Paradise.

We start to see Gavner less and less. He told us this would happen because he said he met the soul of "someone very dear to him". He is going to spend a lot of time with said "special person" now. I have a good feeling the special person is his girlfriend.

Once, when me and Mr. Crepsley talked about old times, particularly when I came to Vampire Mountain for the first time with Mr. Crepsley, Gavner and Harkat, I came to think of Gavner, his bright yellow with pink elephant boxer-shorts and his girlfriend who gave them to him.

Now I am curious. I go to Mr. Crepsley because I am sure he knows the answer. He and Gavner have been best friends for probably eighty or more years, and who would be better to tell me all Gavner's secrets then Crepsley?

The stubborn, orange-haired vampire refuses to tell me and comes up with the lamest excuse I have heard; "You are too young to hear it." I spend the next fifteen minutes trying to explain to Mr. Crepsley that in human years I am around forty even though I look eighteen or nineteen years old! This excuse may have worked thirty-five years ago when I looked twelve, but it won't work on me now! Even at eighteen I should be able to know. Mr. Crepsley is a hundred-fifty to two hundred years old, so he looks thirty. So does that make _him _too young?

"Please tell me!" I beg. He finally gave in. So he told me about Lizz, Gavner's true love.

"Lizz was a human and Gavner, of course, was a Vampire. Because he was a General, Gavner had to go away every so often to Vampire Mountain where he would stay for months at a time. Lizz hated it when he was gone.

"But her main problem was that she was beginning to age a lot more than Gavner. She looked forty while Gavner stayed as young-looking as someone who was twenty. She did not want to make him feel horrible about her death while he lived for another few hundred years or so. So she decided to just break up with him.

"She left when he was asleep even though she still loved him. She left a note saying it was over and she also left him a going away present so he would remember her, but wince at the memory instead of cry; those hideous boxers he always wears."

"They must not seem so hideous to him, though," I suggest, knowing I am more than likely right. I don't know why it was kept a secret for so long. Maybe Gavner's more sensitive than I thought and he just doesn't want to talk about it because he'd start to cry. And I understand that. I don't really like talking about Debbie to people. It makes me sad.

After Mr. Crepsley finishes explaining, I smile and start laughing. "Did I say something humorous?" Mr. Crepsley asks.

"No," I laugh.

"Then for what reason are you laughing?"

"I was just thinking, if you are so good at telling break-up stories like this," I smile, "then what's you and Arra's story?"

Mr. Crepsley turns red. "Th-that story is irrelevant," he always gets so shy when it comes to Arra.

"Please! Tell me!" I beg.

"_NO_!" he yells firmly and the subject is dropped. For now!

On a warm, sunny afternoon, Gavner tells me and Mr. Crepsley we were invited to Lizz's house, who wanted to meet us. The house is in human Heaven, though we don't mind. It's not a long trip if you are using a portal to get there.

When we arrive, we see Lizz outside of her hut tending to her garden and Gavner sits beside her in the grass, a smile on his face. "Hello!" Lizz greets us. She introduces herself. We all go inside out of the heat of the sun and Lizz offers us some lemonade.

Lizz is a very nice lady. She tells us a lot about herself. She lived a very happy and long life for ninety-four years. But she doesn't look ninety-four at all. She looks like she's in her late twenties, just like Gavner. Gavner tells us that when we die, we are able to make ourselves look as young as we want, then turn back to our original age. A lot of people made their selves look younger. Even Mr. Crepsley took off a couple of years!

Lizz and Gavner tells me the story about them. Too bad I had already begged Mr. Crepsley to tell me. I just pretend that this was the first time I heard it. It is a bit different than what Mr. Crepsley told me though, because there is more of Lizz's point of view and what she did after she left.

"I could never find anyone I loved as much as Gavner," Lizz says, "So I never married." Gavner smiles when he hears this.

I am still very curious about and why Mr. Crepsley and Arra broke up. So when we get back to the mountain, I ask Kurda. He acts the same way that Mr. Crepsley acted when I asked him about Gavner and Lizz. So does Gavner, Paris, Mika and everyone else! No one wants to tell me. Or maybe they know just as much as me; nothing.

I decide I want to ask Arra, though I am a little worried about how she will react. She has a temper worse than the Vampaneze!

I ask her and she laughs. Not exactly what I expected. She said it was a big secret and if anyone told me she would kill them. Or, if you are in Paradise, harm them, with words, so much they wish they could die again.

I don't want to waste my breath bugging her about it because I know she's never going to give in and tell me. Instead, I go to my room, lay in my hammock and reflect on the day. Then I started to think about the alternate universe me.

When he dies, will he go to my dimension's heaven, or his dimension's heaven? And what about Harkat? He was actually in the same universe as Kurda. If I came back with my original Darren Shan body, who's to say that Harkat won't? And when he does come, with there just be another Kurda running around? How will everyone tell the two apart? Will Arra start to hate Harkat because of the fact he looks like and practically is Kurda?

Kurda and I spend a lot of time map making lately. We have mapped the garden and the whole forest. It's harder than I thought it would be. It involves a lot of thinking and, well, its just hard! While Kurda scribbles on his notepad and I look around, we stumble upon a cove. Redundantly, we call it The Cove.

As we travel around more, we notice some things here in Paradise are similar to things on earth. We find a waterfall similar to Niagara Falls, a Geyser similar to Old Faithful and a big canyon similar to the Grand Canyon.

After we map those, me and Kurda part ways. I have to get back to Mr. Crepsley, so I open a portal to Vampire Mountain, where he should be. As I glance over my shoulder, I notice that Kurda is continuing to draw a map. He is really dedicated to his maps, isn't he? I open the portal door. These portals are really cool because you can see the other side through the door and the people on the other side can see you as well. Before stepping through, I look around for any signs of Mr. Crepsley and see him in his coffin, asleep. Had I really been gone that long? I look away from the portal and above my head. It's already dark. I was so into the map that I didn't even realize it is late! I shrugged and stepped through the door. Hoping I will not wake up Mr. Crepsley, I quickly and quietly walk out of Mr. Crepsley room and into mine.

I sat on the floor and picked up my diary. I started a new diary about a week or two after I got to Paradise, and it is already starting to get full after only two and a half months. For a dead guy, I have a pretty busy life! I have only about four pages left, and I start writing away about what I did today. My eyelids feel heavy and I decide to go to sleep. I crawl into my hammock, but then I decide the floor is comfier and I fall asleep there.

* * *

><p>AN: Whew! Glad that's over... Who's ready for chapter five? No one? No? Okay. I'm updating anyway! :P TASTE THE RAINBOW! *throws skittles

Don't forget to review and let me know if I made any mistakes! Hasta la bye bye!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I would like to say thank you to all of those who reviewed the last chapter... Reviews are more appreciated than the compliments in the reviews, if that made any sense

Disclaimer: I don't own Darren Shan, but clearly you already knew that. why do we even have to do disclaimers?

**Warning: **Epicness ensues!**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

I really love sleep, although I don't want to waste my day sleeping and missing out on everything, so I get up off the floor and change my clothes. I wear my usual white tee-shirt and my jacket and blue jeans.

After I ate breakfast, I decide to take a walk through the garden. Along the side of the garden, I hear shouting from one of the huts. Steve's hut! My eyes widen and I run over and walk in. As I come to the door, I hear a thud. Then I see Steve lying on the floor, a bloody mess, while Gavner stands over him with an extremely angry expression on his face. I see Lizz standing up against the wall with tears in her eyes, looking completely terrified.

Mr. Crepsley starts to speak, but I interrupt him. "What happened?" I ask quietly, slowly walking inside. Gavner isn't saying anything although I can tell he is the one who did this to Steve. Mr. Crepsley, instead of waiting for Gavner, speaks up.

"Lizz, Gavner and I were walking around and Steve saw us and asked if we would like to come in. We said ye–."

"Yeah, yeah, cut to the chase!" I interrupt.

"Well, long story short," Mr. Crepsley sighs, "Steve called Lizz a hippopotamus and Gavner got mad. Steve continued to be rude, so Lizz slapped him. Steve flipped out and hit Lizz in the face and Gavner defended her, thus," he points to Steve, "Steve is unconscious."

I nod. That makes sense. "Let's get out of here before that thing wakes up," Gavner suggests, puts his arm around Lizz and walks out. We follow. When we are far away from Steve's hut, Mr. Crepsley sighs. "I knew we should not have had anything to do with him. We have to get rid of him."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Gavner asks. Mr. Crepsley ignores the question and we continue to walk around. I look over at the three people beside me. Gavner's angry, Lizz is still crying and Mr. Crepsley is just plain grumpy. But that's normal for Mr. Crepsley.

I can't help but wonder how Steve is holding up right now. We thought that once we blooded Steve he wouldn't be evil any more. Maybe he actually does still have evil blood flowing through his veins.

"Fool me twice, shame on me," Mr. Crepsley mutters under his breath.

For days, Mr. Crepsley secludes himself from everyone, sitting alone in his cell or in the dining hall, probably thinking of how to get rid of Steve. At night, he and Arra barely talk, and I can tell that Mr. Crepsley is really serious about this. He stays up half of most night thinking, while Arra sleeps.

To help Mr. Crepsley, I start to think of plans too, but I am drawing a blank. We never figure out a good plan, so instead of sitting around sulking, and thinking about an easier way, we look for one.

We haven't the slightest idea what we are looking for which makes it so much harder to find what we are looking for, which could be anything, since we don't know what it is. We have formed a team: Mr. Crepsley, Gavner, Lizz and I, along with Kurda, Arra and Mika. The more the merrier!

"This is useless," Mika says pessimistically. "What makes you think we are going to find an escape from _Paradise_? What are we going to do? Dig a hole through Paradise until we see earth?"

Gavner stops. "That actually sounds like a good idea," he says as he starts digging in the dirt with his nails like a dog. Mika rolls his eyes.

"Gavner, you are a fool!" Mika exclaims and picks Gavner up by the back of his shirt and lifts him to his feet. Gavner says nothing in reply, as Mika is a Prince and of greater standing than him. Even Mr. Crepsley, just a normal vampire – Not even a General! – is of higher authority than Gavner because I am a Prince and Mr. Crepsley's apprentice. So, technically, Mr. Crepsley can boss me around, so if he can boss a Prince around, then he is greater than a Prince in a way. Super Prince. A king!

There is an awkward pause where everyone stops and thinks. Mr. Crepsley says it, "What about the Vampire Gods?" Everyone agrees, except me. That wasn't what I was thinking.

"I think you have lost your mind, Mr. Crepsley," I say and shake my head.

Mr. Crepsley flashes a wicked grin. "Not yet," he says, and we continue.

"So where are the gods, Larten?" Kurda asks in a mocking tone as we walk through tall grass.

"If I knew, do you think we would be searching right now?" Mr. Crepsley snaps. He looks over at the setting sun. "It is getting late. We should find shelter."

Arra, Mr. Crepsley Mika, Kurda, Gavner and Lizz go into a cave big enough for all of us and I stay outside, near a stream. The cave is right at the bottom of a mountain, and the stream is only a few feet away from the cave, so I can clearly see and hear everything that goes on in the cave. I can see Mika staring at Arra as she talks to Mr. Crepsley and Gavner. He smiles and sighs.

I can't help but laugh a little. Mika has a crush on Arra! Smiling, I run over to the cave and stop running right at the entrance, slow down and walk towards Mika. Mika is still staring at Arra intently so I wave my hand in front of his face, which snaps him out of his daze.

"Mr. Crepsley wouldn't approve of you stalking his girlfriend, you know," I say as a joke, but Mika takes it seriously.

"I'm not stalking her! I am merely admiring her intently from afar," Mika says, and I can see a faint smile on his face. The only time I have ever seen Mika smile is when he is swinging an ax at someones neck.

"You like her don't you?" I tease him.

After a short pause, he answers, "Yes, but surely you knew that. A lot of people already do. Everyone here does," Mika sighs and finally looks at me again.

"Why would you tell everyone?" I ask the black haired vampire.

He shakes his head. "I didn't," he says.

"About forty years ago, I was Arra's mentor," Mika explains. "I had always liked her, but Larten had too, and unfortunately for me, Arra liked Larten. Arra liked me too, and that caused a problem. Larten and I fought over Arra for years, and on several occasions, everyone would hear, and spread the rumors all throughout the mountain.

"Arra decided she loved Larten more than she loved me. She ended up leaving my side and went on her own as a free vampire earlier than anyone else would have. So, Arra is only about seventy or eighty years old," Mika said then looked back at Arra.

"Wow. I never though you were her mentor! I never really thought about who was her mentor at all. All I knew was whoever it was, they taught her to fight very well!" I respond with a laugh. Mika doesn't laugh. No surprise there.

I am the first to wake up in the morning, as usual. Still laying down, I can see out of the entrance of the cave, and that the sun's out. Judging by the position of the sun, it's probably around noon. I silently curse. We slept late.

I sit up, yawn then stretch. I look over to my left and see Mika, drooling and in a deep sleep. To my right, Kurda sleeping silently. On the opposite side of the cave, Mr. Crepsley's sleeping about six yards away from Gavner, who is snoring loudly.

I stand up and yawn again before I realize that Lizz and Arra aren't there. I stop mid-yawn and my eyes widen. Where's Arra and Lizz? It couldn't be that bad. Maybe they just went to the river to wash up or something. Yeah, that sounds right.

My journal is lying open on the ground next to my bag. Someone must have read it at night. I pick it up and look at the page it was opened to and read it. I am about to put it down, but I have to do a double take. The page it is open to reads: "I took the girls out for 'lunch'. We went to a cave in the middle of nowhere, hint hint. * laughs maniacally... –Steve." I read it again. And again. A third time.

"Steve," I mutter under my breath and sigh, shaking my head. I rip the page out of the book and put it in my pocket. What should I do? I can either wake everyone up and tell them about the note to ensure Lizz and Arra's safety, or I could wait until everyone is awake to tell them that the girls were kidnapped by an evil genius. (As much as I hate to admit it, Steve is pretty smart. He conned us into believing he was a Vampaneze hunter, so that must count for something.)

I'll go with option number two. I clap my hands together twice, making it as loud as I can, waking up most of the vampires. Except Gavner, who continues to snore. I kick his leg and he jumps up and swears at me.

Mr. Crepsley, still very groggy, runs a hand through his bright orange hair. "This better be a matter of life or death, or I swear, you are going to wish you never met me," he grumbles.

"First of all," I mumble, honestly feeling a little scared at Mr. Crepsley threat, "we slept late. It's past noon. And second, Arra and Lizz were kidnapped," I said as if it was part of a normal, everyday conversation.

"What?" Gavner, Mr. Crepsley and Mika gasp at the same time.

"Where would you get that idea?" Kurda yawns calmly. He doesn't seem to be bothered by the idea. I hand him the note. He reads it. "Oh. That's different." He hands it back, still calm.

"Oh, there is a note? What does it say?" Mr. Crepsley asks me. I hand him the note.

"Read it for yourself," I say, forgetting that he's illiterate. "Oh, right," I half laugh when he gives me a glare. He gives it back and I read it out loud.

"Charna's guts!" he yells, startling me and the rest of the group.

"So," Kurda says awkwardly. "what do you suppose we do now?" I glare at him. So does every other vampire in the cave.

"We find them!" we all yell at Kurda at the same time.

We set out soon after we eat. Mr. Crepsley is urging us to walk faster. No one knows what exactly can happen in Paradise, but if Steve says he's gonna eat someone, we better get to them quick. We don't want to tempt fate.

All we know is we don't need to look for him very hard. He obviously wants us to find him, because why else would he leave a note saying where he and the girls are? But I can already feel, that getting them back isn't going to be as easy as finding where they are. Of that I am certain.

Many hours pass and the sun has already set. Mika and Kurda start to think there is no hope left. I think this is the first time they have ever agreed on something. "I'm going to sleep!" Kurda exclaimed as he walked into a cave. Mika follows.

"To the Vampaneze with your beauty sleep!" Gavner protested. "Do you not care about Arra or Lizz?"

Kurda sighs. "Arra hates me, and I barely even know Lizz! Why are you going through so much, just to save two people who can't even die? You should take it easy." Kurda has a point there. But, that was the wrong thing to say to a ticked off vampire. And, Gavner and Kurda aren't really on good terms to begin with.

"Shut up, you arrogant fool!" he flits over to Kurda and gets in his face. "If your girlfriend was kidnapped, and you were in my shoes, you would understand. But you are not in my shoes. You know why? You are too self centered to get a girlfriend! You don't know how important Lizz is to me, and until you get a girlfriend and she is kidnapped by a psycho, don't say anything to me about how I should react to it happening to me," Gavner growls firmly, his knife pointed towards Kurda's throat.

Gavner turns to Mika, who is shocked to have seen this side of Gavner. The rest of us are just as dumbfounded. Mr. Crepsley has been friends with Gavner for over a century, and even he hasn't seen Gavner this mad before.

"Mika, why are you giving up? You have been in love with Arra since you first laid eyes on her. Isn't that why you blooded her in the first place?" Mika turns bright red with embarrassment, then looks at Mr. Crepsley. Mr. Crepsley won't meet his gaze, and he turns bright red as well. He hates the thought that another vampire likes Arra. Especially when that vampire was Arra's mentor. It's just weird. "Does Arra suddenly mean nothing to you?" Gavner snapped harshly.

"Gavner, do not be stupid. Arra means the world to me. Everyone knows that. I would go to the ends of the earth to find her and ensure her safety," Mika argues.

"Then why are you–,"

"That is enough!" Mr. Crepsley barks, clearly getting annoyed by everyone arguing and bickering. "Sometimes I swear I am among a bunch of insolent children! But Darren has an excuse, because he is one." Mr. Crepsley sighs.

Uh, hello! I am forty years old, here! You may be a century older than I am, but I'm not a kid anymore! Fine. If I am a kid, that makes you an old goat! I mentally stick my tongue out at Crepsley.

"Kurda and Mika are right," Mr. Crepsley admits. Gavner starts to protest, but Mr. Crepsley ignores it and raises his voice a bit. "We will not get anywhere if we are as tired as old dogs. We will rest now, when the moon is up. In the morning we will continue our search."

"But–," I start to object. Bad idea.

"Darren!" Mr. Crepsley roars, face as bright red as his cloak, from yelling. He pulls out a short knife and points it at me without thinking. I instantly freeze. I'm starting to think that maybe I shouldn't have said anything.

Everyone around me tenses. Including Mr. Crepsley. As soon as he realizes what he is doing, he drops the knife. "J-Just go in the cave and sleep," he demands. Mr. Crepsley doesn't bother picking up the knife, and he walks by me. I hang my head, defeated and walk into the cave along with the reluctant Gavner, who for the record, seems to be a little more shaken up about Mr. Crepsley's outburst than me.

Kurda and Mika stop at the mouth of the small cave. Curious as to why they won't continue, I run up next to them. Now I know why they stopped. Steve. We found him. We found the girls, and they are tied up with thick ropes that make them unable to move. Arra and Lizz are crying, Arra less hysterically, but she's still in tears. There are many cuts all over them. Steve is enjoying their pain and he laughs every time he gives one of them a new cut, or hits them.

I motion Mr. Crepsley to come over. He looks inside the cave and freezes as well, but then relaxes. Everyone follows when Mr. Crepsley walks inside, not exactly knowing what to do.

"Well, well, well," Mr. Crepsley tuts as we march inside looking like an angry mob. "If it is not Steve Leonard." Steve turns towards us, frowns, then smiles and laughs.

"Darren, Crepsley, and you, creepy vampire guy," he points to Gavner, "you guys stay here, and the rest of you get out."

"No," Mika objects. "I will stay here for as long as I–,"

"OUT!" Steve barks. Mika hesitates and looks at Mr. Crepsley. Mr. Crepsley nods toward the exit. And with that, Kurda and Mika leave.

Lizz stares at Gavner with eyes practically screaming for help. She probably _would_ scream for help, if it weren't for the duct tape Steve placed over her mouth.

"Let them go!" Gavner demands.

Steve laughs. "Really? You _really_ think I would do that? Stupid vampire. Anyone could figure out that it would take more than a desperate plea for me to free your friends."

"It wouldn't take more than for me to break your face to _steal _them back," Gavner growls.

Steve insults Gavner – saying something that should never be repeated to anyone – and Gavner charges at Steve, determined to rip his head off. No more than five feet away from Steve, Gavner suddenly stops and falls down. It's as if he just hit a wall.

Steve laughs at Gavner's pain. "You know there's a force field there, right?" Yes Steve. Of course we knew how to find an invisible force field.

"What do we have to do to get them back?" Mr. Crepsley inquires.

"You have to help me rule the world. Help me rule the world with Mr. Tiny," Steve says. Gavner and I exchange glances.

Mr. Crepsley laughs. "You want _us _to help_ you_? What makes you think we would do that?"

"If you don't, I'll do it. But there will be a lot more suffering involved. Even for the people in Paradise. And you'll never see your precious Arra again. You don't want that do you?" Steve smirks.

Mr. Crepsley thinks for a minute. "What do we have to do?" My jaw drops. Would he really help Steve help Mr. Tiny ruin everyone's lives? In my mind, I'm screaming at Crepsley, but I know he must have a plan.

Steve smiles. "I'm glad you are seeing things my way, Crepsley. All you need to do is open a portal to earth for me. I'll do the rest."

"How do we open the portal?" Gavner asks him.

"That's yours to figure out. I can't do everything myself!" Steve scoffs. "Just do it. Be back here as soon as possible."

"One question," I butt in. "Care to explain exactly what's going on? I mean, why would you be so nice to us in the beginning, then become an evil psychopath again?"

Steve frowns. "I wanted to make you worry. I like making people stressed out. I also wanted to make you guys trust me again so you would help me without questioning everything I do. But apparently I couldn't get you to trust me. It would have been easier if Lizz hadn't freaked out and ruined my plan. It never would have come to this."

"Oh, shut up, Sasquatch. She only yelled at you after you called her a hippo," Gavner scoffs.

"Whatever. Just go. I don't want to see your ugly faces anymore." With that we leave Arra and Lizz in the hands of a psycho. But what choice do we have?

* * *

><p>Was this chapter too long? Ah, whatever! I don't know when the next time I will be able to update is because of school, so I made this chapter twice as long! I hope it holds you guys over until then! Hasta lasagna!<p> 


End file.
